Anyone who has tried to combat fleas knows that treating your dog alone simply isn’t enough. To truly eradicate fleas from your life, you need to practice lawn flea control. If you don’t, your dog or cat will continue to pick up fleas from outside in the yard and the cycle will continue to repeat itself. Breaking the chain of continually treating your pets and using flea bombs in the house can only occur at the source of the fleas – your lawn.
Fleas are common in the areas of your lawn that are shady, humid, and moist. They prefer areas where debris collects or even the mulch that you use to protect your soil and delicate plants from the summer heat. Fleas do not survive well in drenched areas such as bogs or marshes. One of the simplist methods of ridding your lawn of fleas is to flood it periodically. However unless your lawn is on a hill, this may end up damaging your grass as well.
Nematodes for Lawn Flea Control
Using nematodes on your lawn is an excellent way to get rid of pest infestations in the grass and garden. Nematodes are tiny microscopic worms that occur naturally and devour lawn pests from the inside out. They are very effective at controlling fleas in the yard without the worry of pestacides or plant damage. You can purchase nematodes to increase the natural population in your lawn. If you are using this natural pest control method it is important to not spray your lawn with chemicals as these can harm or kill the nematodes.
Controlling Lawn Fleas with Diatomaceous Earth
In addition to using nematodes as a natural method of lawn flea conrol, you can also use diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized shells that are broken up into microscopic pieces. It is easily spread by hand or with a lawn spreader using the same methods as you would with planting new grass seed. DE will not harm your pets or any people using the lawn but is very effective at killing off fleas. It has no effect on the beneficial earthworms that are residing in your lawn, taking care of the dirty work underground. When applying diatomaceous earth be sure to wear a mask or breather as the dust can get into your lungs.
You can generally find nematodes and diatomaceous earth at reputable organic gardening centers and occasionally local chain stores such as Lowes or other hardware stores. Both are also widely available online. When flooding your lawn is not an option, use these natural alternatives for lawn flea control.
photo credit: judy_breck
